In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks a very direct and convicting question. If He really is our Lord then why are we not obedient to Him? People ask, “Why do you make such a big deal about witnessing?” The answer is Jesus said to witness. I think that Mark 16:15 should be reason enough. The word lord means master. If a master tells his servant to do something, he should do what he wants them to do.
There are other reasons why we should witness. Let me give you several:
1. Hell is real.
People who do not know Christ as the Saviour are going to spend eternity tormented, separated from God in eternal fire.
2. Heaven is real.
Those who place their trust in Christ will spend eternity with Jesus Christ in Heaven according to John 14.
3. God has chosen that people get saved through the foolishness of preaching according to 1 Corinthians 1:21.
4. There is no greater joy than seeing someone trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
5. When we are faithful to witness, we have the promise of the presence of Christ as we go in Matthew 28:19-20.
6. The Father sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us that we might have the power to witness in Acts 1:8.
There are many effective ways of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When I moved back to Las Vegas, thirty-seven years ago, we began Liberty Baptist Church. Because of our unique city and personal experience, I decided to develop my own simple method of sharing the Gospel.
The five things you must know:
- The Bible is the Word of God.
- Jesus is the God of the Bible.
- We are all sinners.
- Because of our sin, we deserve to go to Hell.
- Jesus died, was buried, and rose again to pay for our sin.
Now there is one thing I must do:
- I must call upon Jesus Christ and ask Him to save me.
Below, you will find the content that I have put together to help form a tool we use at Liberty Baptist Church called the Gospel Fold. Anyone reading this that would like a copy of our Gospel Fold can e-mail our church office and request a copy and we will send you one absolutely free. It is a great tool in sharing the Gospel with your friends and loved ones.
1. You Must Know the Bible is the Word of God – 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21
The Bible is very clear. God told men what He wanted them to say and they wrote down His words. When we hold the Bible in our hands, we are not giving the opinion of man, we are declaring the very words of God. It is important that people understand that in our culture today. There are so many books that claim to be the Word of God. The Word of God has proven itself over the years. People need to understand what we mean by the Bible being the Word of God. It is wonderful to speak with authority and the only authority we believers have is the absolute, infallible Word of God.
2. Jesus is the God of the Bible – Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8
Many religions may claim the name of Jesus Christ. When we witness we must make it clear who we believe Jesus is. Jesus can only do what He did for us because He is God in human flesh. Jesus Christ is God in human flesh or He is the greatest liar that has ever lived. Since we live in a world that is filled with cultic believers it is important that we explain the deity of Christ in a simple and concise manner.
3. We Are All Sinners – Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23
It is important that we place ourselves in the same category as those we are witnessing. Dr. Sumner Wemp used to say that, “We are all in the same boat. We’ve all done wrong.” When sharing the Gospel we do not want to be pointing our finger at those we are witnessing to, condemning them. It is important, however, that we make this point – that all of us are sinners.
4. Because of Our Sin, We Deserve to Go to Hell – Romans 6:23
Death in the Bible is spiritual death, which is separation from God in a place called Hell. We are all sinners and because of our particular sin each of us deserve to go to Hell. It does not matter how religious we are, what our family background is, or how many times we have been baptized. Good works have nothing to do with getting us to Heaven. We are all sinners and we all deserve to go to Hell. As you witness this must be made clear and the person you are sharing the Gospel with must come to grips with this truth.
5. Jesus Christ Suffered and Died on the Cross to Pay for Your Sin – Romans 5:8
This is exactly what the Old Testament Scriptures said would happen. God is a just God. Since that is true, and since the law says sin must be paid for by death, this payment could not be avoided. Because God loves us, He chose to become a man and pay our sin’s penalty in our place by dying on the cross. Jesus suffered the equivalent of Hell on the cross at Calvary for anyone who would believe.
6. One Thing You Must Do – Romans 1:9-10, Romans 10:13
Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and rose from the dead to pay for our sins. I can know all that and still miss Heaven, because the Bible says there is one thing I must do. Once I understand that I am a sinner, that Jesus is God, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead to pay for my sin, I have a personal responsibility. Every individual living on planet earth must come to an understanding of who he is and who Christ is, and what Christ did for us. By admitting our sin and asking Him to be our Saviour any person can be saved.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I know that You are God. I know that the Bible is Your Word. I believe that You died in my place to pay for my sins. I know You rose from the dead proving that You are God. Right now, in the best way I know how, I call upon You and ask You to be my Lord and Saviour and God. Thank You, Jesus for dying for me. Help me now to live for You.
Any person, who calls on the name of the Lord and asks Him to save them, according to the Word of God, will go to Heaven. If you are a believer, I hope you will take this outline and share it with others. It is a simple way to share the Gospel.